MILWAUKEE - Jenny Lindner hadn't thought too much about the end of her basketball career until Wednesday night.

"Coach (Kyle Rechlicz) kind of gave me a reality check after practice," Lindner said. "She came in and said the next loss we're done. It's crazy that time is here."

It has been quite a run for the Neillsville graduate and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee senior. Lindner's name is scattered throughout the Panthers' record book and with two more wins, she could go down as part of UW-Milwaukee's winningest class in school history as the Panthers enter the Horizon League Women's Basketball Tournament. UW-Milwaukee (20-10) is the 4-seed and plays Youngstown State Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit in the quarterfinals.

When Lindner, a 6-foot small forward, committed to UWM in 2013, Rechlicz said she was a program-changer. In her four years there, Lindner has helped turn around the Panthers program. In her freshman year, Lindner and the Panthers won just 10 games, but the following year the team won 19, and followed that up with consecutive 20-plus-win seasons.

"It's really cool to see that we believed in our coach and changed the culture here," Lindner said. "It’s awesome and so astonishing to see what we’ve accomplished."

Lindner's senior year has been a trying one physically. She suffered a concussion during a December game and on Senior Night sprained her ankle. The concussion forced her to miss a game, but the ankle injury didn't keep Lindner from returning for her final game at Klotsche Center court. She wouldn't let it.

"I have always been super competitive," she said. "I think I get that from my older siblings."

She was determined to return to play. A trainer taped up her ankle, and she asked for more tape. She was going back in

"I know I have a role on this team and I wasn't about to let them down," she said.

Jenny Lindner, a Neillsville grad, is the UW-Milwaukee women's basketball fourth all-time leading scorer with over 1,600 points.(Photo: UW-Milwaukee Athletics)

Lindner has been a model of consistency for UWM and earned second-team All-Horizon League honors, averaging 14.3 points, a career-high 7.9 rebounds and shooting .475 percent from the floor. She averaged 14.5 points per game as a junior.

She recently passed 1,600 career points (fourth in UWM history), and is in the top 10 in rebounds (784), double-doubles (19) and free-throw percentage (.854). She set the new school mark in career starts on Senior Day, starting her 121st game.

It will be a tough road from the get-go for the Panthers if they want to shock the Horizon League, earn an automatic trip to the NCAA Tournament and prolong Lindner's and the senior class's careers. UWM faces Youngstown State in the quarterfinals. The teams split the season series 1-1, with each team trading 1-point wins. The game can be seen on ESPN3.com.

"It's going to be a battle," Lindner said. "We are trying to switch things up, but we know it's going to come down to loose balls, who wants it more and who plays with more heart."

Jenny Lindner is in the top-10 in numerous categories in the UW-Milwaukee women's basketball record book.(Photo: UW-Milwaukee Athletics)

For the Panthers to pull off a stunner as the fourth seed in the tournament, the team will need to put it all together to get past Youngstown State, then likely in-state rival UW-Green Bay and another opponent in the championship.

Lindner said she is 99.7 percent sure her next loss with be the end of her playing career despite knowing she could play professionally somewhere overseas. She is ready to begin her teaching career after basketball.

"I have nothing to lose," Lindner said. "I just have to lay it out all out there because it could be the last game ever playing. I don’t want to go out saying 'what if.' I don't want any what-ifs."